​Psalm 127:4 states, "As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man so are children of the youth".
"Mighty men" in the Old Testament is a description given to those engaged in warfare. As warriors
they utilized armor and weapons to fight the enemy. Each warrior was responsible to shape, sharpen, and hone the arrows in his quiver.

Psalm 127:4 tells us that children are like arrows. Arrows are designed to fly. The makers of arrows painstakingly design them to accurately fly straight and hit their target.  Like arrows, God intended children to be released from our homes so they can have a spiritual impact on our world in the spiritual battle we fight. God intended for our children to fly straight and hit God's target. Unlike arrows, which are meant to kill the intended target; God intends our children to be like cupid's arrow, drawing the target to the love of God. From the time we bring them home from the hospital, those little arrows must be shaped, sharpened, and honed to carry out God's purpose - the redemption of mankind. 

Psalm 127:3 states, ""Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD; and the fruit of the womb is His reward". In other words, our children are not ours. They belong to God. We are God's steward of that child. In other words, we are nannies. When we do not shape, sharpen, and hone them for God's intended purpose we are derelict of our responsibility.  

Though our children were created in the image of God; because of Adam's sin they came into this world as deformed images of God. Only God can do the transforming reconstructive surgery that takes place at salvation; but He chooses to use godly parents to be involved in the process of being conformed into His image. The shaping, sharpening, and the honing are all a part of sanctification. As they are sanctified into God's image, they become a weapon in this warfare in which we fight.

Psalm 127:5 says, "Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate." This pictures a mighty man who confidently stands at the gate of his enemies and speaks, because his quiver is full. He has a quiver full of ready arrows. 

Of course, the context speaks of a man who has a quiver full of children. Children who have been shaped, sharpened, and honed for God's intended purpose are a weapon against the adversary, and cause the father not to be ashamed as he stands before the enemy. What a fool to stand before your enemy with a quiver full of bent and dull arrows.  

We all understand that our ultimate enemy is Satan. His army is made up of demons who infiltrate the minds of men . He also uses people whose minds have been captured by the wiles of the devil.
They are not the enemy. They are slaves of the enemy. They may look like the enemy. They may act like the enemy. But unlike the true enemy, they are redeemable. They can be rescued. 

Now, let me remind you that our children are like Cupid's arrows - designed to hit the heart and draw that apparent enemy to God. They can only hit the target, the heart; if they have been shaped and sharpened by the Word of God. They can only hit the target when they are taken out of the quiver and released from the bow. 

Every archer worth his salt can tell you there is pain in launching an arrow. As the archer lets go, his left forearm can be painfully stung with the slap of the string. The same is true of a parent's heart. While the "arrow" is enjoying the flight he was made for, the heart of a parent feels the sting of the release.  Releasing is also scary. Will they fly straight? Will they be blown off course? Will they fall short of God's intended destination for their lives? You'll never know if you don't release them. But they'll never grow up if you keep them safe in your quiver, away from the battlefield.

By the way, the arrow does not go into the battlefield alone. It is the mighty man who enters the battlefield with his quiver. It is the mighty man who stands at the gate of his enemies with a quiver full of shaped and sharpened arrows. If we are going to prepare our children to hit the target we must be mighty men. Mighty men are the ones who shape, sharpen, and hone their arrows, and can confidently stand before their enemies. 

As I mentioned in my last post, it takes a mature tree to produce fruit. Likewise, it takes maturity on our part to produce abundant spiritual fruit for the Lord. Spiritual Fruit is God's desire for us. In John 15:16 we read, " Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit." This statement follows a statement in verse 8 that says, " Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." In verse 2 He says, "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 

In my last post we saw the importance of water in growing a tree to maturity. Likewise, God's Word is vital to our spiritual maturity. God's Word also reveals another important truth about bearing fruit. As my wife and I researched how to get an abundant crop of plums from our plum trees; we read of the importance of pruning. The process of pruning is the removal of diseased, damaged, and non-productive branches. As these branches are removed it allows nutrients to be diverted to other branches that are more able to support and produce bountiful fruit. The spiritual lesson we can glean from this horticultural lesson is that there are sucker branches in our lives which begin to suck nutrients from branches that are primed to produce fruit. The result is there is not as much fruit produced as was intended. This happens when we allow into our lives things that, in view of eternity, are insignificant. They take up our attention and energy and leave us weakened to where we cannot bear much fruit. I recall a time in my life when my energy was focused on sports. My mother tried to get me to play the piano. She saw the value of using that talent to draw people to God in worship. But if you could not hit it, throw it, or catch it; it did not get my attention. So, the sucker branch of sports won. What are your sucker branches that rob you of spiritual fruit? What consumes your time and energy? Do you spend more time on social media than in God's Word? There are so many sucker branches that crop up in our lives, and rob us of bearing much fruit. We must cut those branches out of our lives. We must not be tree huggers clinging tightly to those branches.

Scripture tells us to examine ourselves and deal with those things which hinder our relationship with God. We also see in Scripture if we do not examine ourselves that He loves us so much He will allow and even send into our lives trials to draw us unto Himself. The theme of the book of James sets forth that a mature faith produces fruit. The book begins by addressing something that is common to all of us - trials. In James 1:2 we are told to count it all joy when we fall into temptations (trials). Verses 3 & 4 tell us why we should consider trials with joy. Trials are God's pruning shears to produce more fruit in our lives so we might be perfect (mature) and entire, wanting (lacking) nothing in our lives. 

God has chosen you to bring forth much fruit that He might be glorified. So cut out what keeps you from glorifying Him. Welcome the pruning shears of trials. Lets bear much fruit so when we stand before Him we are perfect and entire, lacking nothing.

In my last post I introduced to you our first exposure to having a fruit tree in our backyard. I shared with you a spiritual lesson learned from that experience. We expected plums because what was in our backyard were plum trees. How foolish to expect anything different. The nature of something dictates its fruit. I equated that expectation to the spiritual truth of God's nature in us produces a Godly fruit. The old nature produces an entirely different fruit - an ungodly fruit. 

As new home owners, we were looking forward to a bumper crop of plums, but when it was time for fruit there was no fruit. A little research on our part brought us to the realization that it takes a degree of maturity for a plum tree to produce fruit. Fruit bearing is a process - not only in the physical realm, but also in the spiritual realm.

A key component to growth in the physical world is water. The Psalmist describes the person who delights in the Word of God as one who is like a tree planted by the rivers of water. God's Word is like rivers of water that continuously nourish and refresh the soul. Man's wisdom is like a puddle of water that dries up when the sun of adversity scorches our world. There is no true success and there is no genuine happiness for the person who takes advice from those who would disregard the clear teachings of the Bible. Take away God's Word and the soul withers as the leaf withers when deprived of water. Take away the rivers of water, and the tree will not produce fruit. Likewise we will not produce spiritual fruit when God's Word is neglected.  

As we read, meditate on, and do what the Bible tells us; God will produce in and through us the fruit of the Spirit. In Galatians, God explains that the fruit of the Spirit is having love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance demonstrated in our lives. These are qualities everyone wants. Yet, many people look at these as being unattainable. Without God they are unattainable. Often people look at something being unattainable, because they want instant results. Producing the fruit of the Spirit is a process. It takes time and care for a tree to mature and produce fruit. Likewise, it takes time spent in the Bible, and obedience to His commands in order to mature and produce fruit. The Word of God is essential to our spiritual growth. The Epistle of James reveals this truth of the vitalness of God's Word, and also reveals another truth about fruit-bearing. I will look at that truth in my next post.  

The very first house my wife and I purchased had a beautiful back yard filled with plum trees. We moved into our new home in the Spring anticipating a bumper crop of plums in the Fall. Expecting peaches would have been foolish, though at the time we were living in peach country.
You see, the kind of fruit is the result of the kind of tree.

The lesson here is that a spiritual man produces the fruit of the Spirit while the natural man produces an entirely different fruit. Galatians 5:19-23 is a passage of Scripture that reminds us of this dynamic. By nature man is a child of the devil. John 8:44 declares, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. We were born into this world as "little devils". I know it is hard for grandparents to accept this truth, but ask any parent at 2:00 a.m. and they will confirm this to be true. John 8:44 indicates "as nature is, nature does". We were born children of the devil, so we will act like children of the devil. The only way to change this dynamic is by getting a new nature. Just as a plum tree cannot turn itself into a peach tree, we cannot change our nature. So how do we get a new nature? The Bible tells us that we must be "born again" in John chapter 3. There we are told "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Jesus goes on to tell us that in order to be born again, born of the Spirit, we must put our trust in Him. Jesus is the only way to God, the only way to eternal life. There is no other name given under heaven...whereby we must be saved. Being "born again" is relationship with God's Son who came into this world to pay the price of sin. The price of sin is death, and Christ paid it for us. Yes, being "born again" is a spiritual experience, but it cannot be separated from a relationship with Christ. When I place my faith and trust in Jesus, I become a child of God.  I am no longer a child of the devil. The Bible says I become a joint-heir with Christ. As a child of God, I have a new nature, the nature of my Father in heaven. The Bible says I become a partaker of the divine nature - only then can I even produce spiritual fruit. 

Well, Autumn came and there was no fruit on our plum trees. None at all. We began to research why perfectly healthy trees did not produce any fruit. We discovered that it takes a degree of maturity in order for a plum tree to produce plums. Likewise, we find in Scripture that the fruit of the Spirit is manifested in the life of a mature Christian. One does not immediately bring forth the fruit of the Spirit the moment they place their faith and trust in Christ. They have the nature to produce that fruit at the moment they become a child of God, but fruit bearing is a process. We will talk about that process in my next post. 

Growing up I had a dog by the name of Buster.  He was a big dog weighing about 100 pounds.  He was such an even-tempered friend.  He put up with me riding him like a horse. He was my constant companion as he would go with me to explore the neighborhood.  As I look back, it’s almost as if our roles were reversed as he was the one watching me sniff around.  It seems he was always watching out for me. 
 
When we would go for those walks around the neighborhood, invariably the little dogs, like the Chihuahua and the Pekinese, would come out and nip at his hind legs.  Not once do I remember Buster even giving them a notice, even though he could have easily turned around and literally crushed them with his jaws.  Yet, he just kept walking with his eyes fixed on me.
 
When dad would take him downtown to get a haircut.  Before entering the barber shop dad would tell Buster to stay right there by the door.  Often customers would try to coax him in or a passerby might tempt him to follow.  Buster would never leave his post.  Not until dad would exit would Buster rise and follow him.  Dad would not even have to say a word.  Buster was so attentive that just the motion of a hand, a look, and he responded.  He anticipated his master’s every move.
 
Looking back, I have learned from my dog, Buster, how to live a contented, fulfilled life.  First, be a servant.  Minister to people.  Be a burden bearer.  Sometimes we need to carry other's needs.  Be a loyal friend.  Be a patient friend.  Second, keep your eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ, anticipate His every move.  Follow Him.  Third, don’t let the Chihuahuas and the Pekinese of this world irritate or distract you.  Just enjoy the walk with your master. 

Every day I am greeted by a plaque on my desk that says, “I will not be normal, I will be a miracle”.  It is a constant challenge to me.  One of the many synonyms Webster gives for “normal” is average.  Average has many synonyms associated with it such as common, ordinary, and even mediocre.  I want to live above mediocrity.  I don’t want to be just average, just ordinary.    
 
One of the many definitions Webster gives for “normal” is the definition “occurring naturally”.   When I reflect on that definition, the first passage of Scripture in the Bible that comes to mind is 1 Corinthians 2:14 where it says, “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”  God’s Word, God’s Will can only be discerned in the realm of the spiritual.  The natural man is here described as a man without the Holy Spirit in His life.   2 Peter 1:4 describes the    person who places his faith and trust in Christ as a “partaker of the divine nature”.  There is nothing ordinary about being a “partaker of the divine nature”.  When we trust Christ as our Savior an extraordinary thing happens; the supernatural Holy Spirit comes into our lives to guide us and help us discern His Word and His Will for our lives.  This is a miracle. 
 
Webster defines “miracle” as “an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs”.  Every Christmas we celebrate the extraordinary event of a holy God manifesting Himself to His fallen creatures in order to redeem us and reconcile us to Himself.  In order for our sin debt to be paid, God’s holiness demanded a sinless, perfect substitute to die in our place to pay that debt.  The only sinless, perfect substitute is God.  In order for God to die, He would have to become human.  For God to come into this world in the manner in which He designed for mankind to procreate, God would have taken on the sin nature of Adam, and He would have ceased to be sinless.  He would have ceased to be God.  Christ’s birth demanded exactly what God ordered: that the Son of God would be born of a virgin conceived by the Holy Spirit.  In this way, Christ was totally divine and at the same time totally man.  Deity and humanity met in the womb of a virgin.  Never had there been a person born of a virgin until Christ came into this world.  
 
This never repeated miracle was necessary for you and I to be able to live extraordinary lives – lives lived in the realm of the spiritual, lives not stuck in the natural or the normal.  Even though we may take the step that makes us “partakers of the divine nature”; 1 Corinthians 3 shows we can still fall short of God’s perfect plan for us and live in the realm of the normal.  Those verses refer to this type of living as “carnal”.  Normal living is living for self.  We are told in Scripture this kind of living is unfulfilling.  I don’t want to live that way. 
 
Often when we think of miracles, our thoughts focus on the spectacular. We are prone to bask in the magnificence of it.  As I reflect upon our Lord’s Incarnation, it strikes me that this miraculous event where God comes to earth is shrouded in a covering that is unpretentious.  The eternal God limited His divine attributes, limiting Himself within the confines of a human body.  God comes into this world in a very humble setting as a baby dependent upon parents to provide His basic needs.  Throughout His life Jesus is dependent upon God to meet His basic needs.  He explained to His disciples, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head”.  When we read the Gospels we see the humility of our Lord on each page.  We constantly see obedience to the Father and His unconditional love for others.  In Philippians 2 we are told that we are to have the same mind and attitude as Christ.  There it outlines that Jesus limited His divine attributes and “took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross”. 
 
What about you and me?  Do we have the mind of Christ?  Serving others, putting others before ourselves, yielding our rights, setting aside our agenda and aspirations to do the will of God are foolishness to the natural man.  To live like Christ is a miracle.  It requires daily yielding ourselves to the supernatural indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit.  Too many times we are unwilling to yield.  So we trudge along trying to live the Christian life in our own power, and do not experience the power of God in our lives. We are existing. We are playing church.  We are living in the normal.  I don’t want to live there.  I don’t want to play church.  I don’t want to get comfortable in this world.  I want to make a difference in people’s lives.  I want my life to count for God.  I want the same for you.  Will you strive with me to step out of the mundane, the normal, and experience the “miracle” of a life totally surrendered to God?
 
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